Written by: Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart, Chilton Price
Recorded: 19-25 November 1980
Producer: George Harrison
Engineer: Phil McDonald
Released: 27 October 1981 (US), 20 November 1981 (UK)
Available on:
Stop And Smell The Roses
Personnel
Ringo Starr: vocals, drums
George Harrison: electric guitar, vocals
Al Kooper: piano, synthesizer
Ray Cooper: piano, synthesizer, tambourine, vocals
‘You Belong To Me’ is the seventh song on Ringo Starr’s eighth solo album, 1981’s Stop And Smell The Roses.
It was written by Chilton Price, a music librarian at WAVE Radio Louisville in Kentucky, as ‘Hurry Home To Me’. The songwriting credits were extended to Pee Wee King and Redd Stewart in mostly exchange for their assistance in promoting the song, although both did contribute to its development, including changing the setting from wartime to a more universal scenario.
‘You Belong To Me’ was published in April 1952, and first recorded that year by Joni James in Chicago. Her version was released in March by the local Sharp Records label, and reissued by MGM in August after Jo Stafford, Patti Page, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dean Martin had all covered it.
In the UK it topped the sheet music sales chart on 27 December 1952, remaining at number one for seven weeks. British covers included versions by Larry Cross, Alma Cogan, Monty Norman, Dickie Valentine, Victor Silvester, and Jimmy Young.
The only one to reach the UK singles chart, however, was American pop singer Jo Stafford. It featured on the first ever singles chart on 14 November 1952, and peaked at number one for a single week in the following January, becoming the second UK chart-topper. Stafford re-recorded ‘You Belong To Me’ twice, in 1963 and 1969.
Starr’s version was produced by George Harrison at his Friar Park home studio in Henley-on-Thames.